FO Post: Parisian Apples

Sorry to have disappeared there for a few days - things got a bit crazy at the end of last week, and then I worked on Monday, filling in for someone, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and properly write a post.

You may remember that I had started a hat a few weeks ago:

It zoomed along pretty quickly, when I had time to work on it, and pretty soon I had a nice amount done.

And very shortly after that, it was crown decrease time!

And now - voila!

Project: Parisian Apples 

Pattern: Chelsea in Paris, by Christina Lundborg (free on Ravelry)

Yarn: Loop Sprig held with Loop Posy, both in the colorway Apple

Needles: US size 4 and 5

Modifications: None

Notes: Shortly after I started working at the yarn store a young woman came in and bought a skein of these two yarns in this colorway and said she was going to knit a beret. I remembered that I had this pattern in my Ravelry library, and I just think the Apple colorway is so perfectly red, that I went ahead and bought some myself. 

I got caught up in knitting other stuff, and then decided that this would be one of the projects I would make once I finished my cardigan. I knew that I would be making it and then putting it away to wear next winter, bur that was fine.

The yarn is really nice to work with, and the two together make a lovely hat. This was my first time using mohair in a project, and though I'm happy with the result, I don't see myself knitting with mohair regularly. It was easy enough to frog a few stitches with it, but it would drive me crazy if I had to take out rows in a sweater or shawl or some larger project. Having said that, I have enough of both yarns remaining to knit either another beret as a gift, or something else so I'll knit with mohair at least one more time ... 😉

I have mixed feelings about the pattern. Overall, it was good. But when you are doing increases after the brim, the pattern says, "increase by x stitches in the next round." Which is fine, but I prefer it when it says either "increase every x stitches," or "K4, kbl," or another specific instruction. I was just annoyed that every time for a few rounds, I had to stop and count and do the calculations. And granted, sometimes the counts would mean that you increased every 4.5 stitches (meaning you had to decide when for yourself), but it was just annoying. Especially when the decreases were very specifically written out. 

But then again, it is a free pattern ... so you get what you pay for, right?

I found it amusing that after blocking, when it turned it to the inside to finish drying, it kind of looked like some weird mollusk:

I like wearing berets, because they fit closely around my head and ears, but have room on the top rather than being tight. Of course I know you are supposed to wear them like this:

But really, I wear hats for warmth, and how warm would that be? Nope, I wear berets down over my ears, but maybe that's just me.

Or maybe it's because I am not French. C'est la vie, right?